The 2025 Super Netball Grand Final was intended to be a big deal for elite sports, with a record-breaking crowd, exciting games, and a show of how Australian netball is becoming more popular. Instead, the event has been clouded by controversy after it came to light that one of the performers at halftime, Siala Robson, who was a finalist on The Voice, had pleaded guilty to domestic violence charges just last year.
Oversight Ruins Record-Breaking Event
The Melbourne Vixens beat the West Coast Fever in a match at Rod Laver Arena that drew over 15,000 fans. With 386,455 fans attending throughout the season, it was also the highest total attendance for a women’s sports league in Australia this year.
But the focus quickly changed when it came out that Robson, one of three artists that Universal Music hired to perform at halftime, had a criminal record for assaulting her ex-partner in 2023.
The details of the conviction
Robson pleaded guilty in 2024 to two counts of assault leading to bodily harm in a public place while inebriated in Queensland’s Redcliffe and Cleveland Magistrates Courts.
- There was no conviction.
- She had to pay $1,000 in damages.
- She was told to do 60 hours of community service.
- Magistrate Mark Bucknall said the assault was long-lasting and serious. Part of it was caught on CCTV, and an Uber driver who saw it happen intervened.
Netball Australia’s Stand
Netball Australia said it didn’t know about Robson’s offences before the game and only found out about them after the game. The group had relied on a third-party agency to find and check the performers, which it now admits was not enough.
A spokesperson said that the governing body would:
- Make the rules for managing event risks stronger.
- Make sure that all talent has more thorough background checks.
- Keep its zero-tolerance policy on violence while working with players to keep up campaigns against domestic violence.
Backlash from players
The Australian Netball Players’ Association (ANPA) said that letting Robson play was a “serious oversight” that hurt players for real. The group said it went against the values of the players and their promise to stop domestic violence.
ANPA said that players will continue to advocate for safer communities and change, even though Netball Australia has taken responsibility and promised to make things better.
Netball’s History of Fighting Domestic Violence
Although netball has a long history of speaking out against violence against women, this is still a problem.
- From round five on, players from all eight Super Netball clubs wore purple armbands to bring close attention to the issue.
- The video campaign “Hear Her Voice” from ANPA was made to raise awareness, respect, and equality.
- Players often speak out towards disrespect, fight against harmful stereotypes, and support cultures where violence is never acceptable.
Key Points About My Life Diamonds goal shooter
Cara Koenen recently spoke out about being a victim of sexual assault. She talked about how the trauma hurt her confidence on and off the court, how it made her feel emotionally, and how she fought against victim-blaming stories.
Her story shows how prevalent domestic violence is in Australia:
- One in four women have been abused, emotionally, physically, or financially by their partner.
- One out of three women has been physically abused since they were 15.
- One out of every five women has been sexually assaulted.
- A current or former partner kills one woman every nine days on average.
- In 2024 alone, 37 women were killed by their partners, plus more than 4,600 women had to go to the hospital because of violence in their homes.
Going Forward
Netball Australia has said that they will learn from this mistake. To rebuild trust between players and fans, there will need to be stronger vetting, better event rules, and ongoing work to stop domestic violence.
The message is still clear for the athletes who have long fought for respect, equality, and safety: Enough is enough. Sport has a part to play in making Australia safer for everyone.
